“You weren’t listening to what I said.”
“I’m afraid I didn’t get enough sleep last night. A little boy was up way too late and kept me up, too.”
Nate dropped his head. “Sorry, Mom.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart.”
His head shot back up, and he grinned from ear to ear. “Did you hear? Nick’s taking me fishing this morning. Isn’t that great?”
“Wonderful, darling.” Jesse took a large swallow of her lukewarm coffee, hoping the caffeine would kick in real soon before she laid her head on the table and started snoring.
“He wants me to give him some more pointers on how to fish. Me, Mom,” Nate pointed to himself. “Can you believe it?”
She ruffled her son’s hair. “Yes. You’re a good fisherman.”
“You need to take the skiff to O’Reilly’s Cove,” Gramps advised as he stood and shuffled toward the coffeepot to pour himself some more of the brew. “Should be some fish there. All he should have to do is put his line in the water to catch anything.” He lifted the glass pot toward Jesse.
“Yes, please.” She slid her mug with painted lady-bugs on it across the table, then slid it back when her grandfather refilled it to the brim. Steam wafted to the ceiling, the rich dark color reminding Jesse of Nick’s eyes. Why was it everywhere she turned she thought of Nick? “I think Gramps is right. O’Reilly’s Cove has some of the best fishing on the lake.”
“Gramps, it’s okay if we take the skiff then?”
“Sure, son. I’ve got some powerful thinking to do today so I won’t be using it.” Gramps eased back into his chair, cradling his mug between his hands.
“Thinking?” both Nate and Jesse said at the same time.
“Every once and a while a man’s got to do some thinking about his life. Take stock of the direction it’s heading. You’ll learn that as you grow up.”
Jesse wasn’t sure one hundred percent her grandfather was just talking to Nate. There was a look in his eyes that said his comments were also aimed at her. She didn’t see any need to change the direction her life was heading. She was content with it the way it was. And everything will be back to normal when Nick and Cindy leave in a month, she declared silently.
She repositioned herself in her chair, trying to get comfortable. Again she found herself staring at the coffee in the mug and thinking about the man next door. He should be here soon. How did she look? She’d been so tired when she had gotten up that she hadn’t even looked in the mirror when she’d combed her hair.
A knock at the back door sent Nate leaping from his chair and hurrying to answer it. The man who had plagued her thoughts appeared in the entrance with a smile on his face but tired lines about his eyes. Good, he hadn’t gotten any more sleep than she had, and it was affecting him, too.
“Ready to go after Moby Dick?” Nick stepped into the house with Cindy right behind him, eating a piece of toast with strawberry jam.
“Moby Dick?” Nate asked, his face screwing up into a confused expression.
“A whale in a story I once read.”
“There aren’t any whales in the lake.” Nate whirled toward his great-grandfather. “Are there, Gramps?”
“No, son. He was just kidding.”
“Oh.” Nate turned back to Nick and said in a serious tone, “There is an old catfish that Gramps keeps trying to catch. He’s pretty slippery. He lives in O’Reilly’s Cove. Maybe you can get him.”
“Or maybe you can.” Nick saw the coffeepot still half full. “May I have a cup before we hit the water?”
“Yes.” Jesse rose and went to the counter to pour Nick a mug. “Are you ready to help me make a doll, Cindy?”
Still chewing the last of her toast, the little girl nodded.
Nick leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee. “The second she heard about the plans for today, she grabbed the last piece of toast on her plate and dragged me out the door. I didn’t even get to finish my coffee. So this is a welcomed relief.” He raised his mug.
“Did you get anything to eat? I could fix you something.”
Nick shook his head. “I’m fine. Coffee is all I need right now. How far is this O’Reilly’s Cove? Do we walk or drive?”
“You can use the skiff. Much easier.” Gramps stood and brought his cup to the sink, then headed toward the door.
“Why don’t you come with us, sir?”
Before disappearing out the back door, Gramps glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks, but I’ve got plans.”
When her grandfather closed the door, Nick asked, “He isn’t going over to my house to see Boswell, is he?”
Jesse walked to the window to watch her grandfather head away from Nick’s house. “No, I don’t think so. He likes to walk when he has some thinking to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns up at O’Reilly’s Cove later.”
Nate tried to whistle but didn’t quite make the correct sound. “That’s far.”
“Are you ready to leave?” Nick finished the last of his coffee and placed the mug on the counter by the sink. “I saw the fishing equipment on the deck by the door.”
“Gramps checked to make sure we had everything.”
“You’d better get your ball cap. It’s gonna be hot in a few hours.” As Nate and Cindy left the kitchen in search of his hat, Jesse said, “Make sure he puts on sunscreen every hour. He tends to burn easily if he doesn’t. And he will have to wear a life jacket. He’ll complain.”
Nick’s gaze captured hers. “I’ll take good care of him. Like he was my own.” After he said the last sentence, Nick’s eyes widened for a few seconds, then he turned away so Jesse couldn’t see his expression.
But his words stuck in her mind and played through her thoughts as she watched her son and neighbor walk down to the pier and get into the skiff. Even when working with Cindy to make a small baby doll for the auction, she couldn’t keep from thinking about Nick. What were he and Nate doing right that moment? Had they caught a fish yet? Were they having a good time?
“Jesse. Jesse.” Cindy’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. She shook the image of Nick seated in the skiff steering it toward the calmer water of the cove. “Sorry, I was thinking about a…friend.”
“Is this enough stuffing for the arms?”
“I’d use a little more.” Jesse rose from her worktable in the den and walked toward the window.
The sparkling blue water gleamed in the sunlight. She looked toward the direction of O’Reilly’s Cove, wondering what Nate and Nick were doing. Maybe Cindy and she should drive around to the cove and try to spot them. She could use a break and she was sure Cindy could, too.
“Want to check out what your dad and Nate are doing?” Jesse rolled her shoulders to work the stiffness out of them.
“Daddy didn’t eat any breakfast. Maybe we could bring them something to eat.”
“What a wonderful idea.” Jesse walked to Cindy and hugged the child. “Your father is lucky to have you as a daughter.”
“Boswell says he needs me.”
“And I agree with Boswell. What do you think we should bring them to eat?”
Cindy laid the arms to her doll on the table and stood. “Daddy likes ham or turkey sandwiches.”
“Great. I’ve got some turkey and I’ll fix a peanut butter and jelly one for Nate. Do you want one, too?”
“Yes.”
In the kitchen with Cindy’s help Jesse had the sandwiches prepared in ten minutes. She took several sodas from the refrigerator and a bag of cookies from the pantry and placed the food and drinks in a big paper sack.
“Ready.” Jesse grabbed her set of keys and started for the back door.
Fifteen minutes later she and Cindy stood on the shore at O’Reilly’s Cove and waved at Nick and Nate in the skiff out in the middle about thirty yards away. When her son saw them, he got to his feet, waving back at them. The skiff rocked in the water. Nick gripped Nate’s hand and yanked him back down on the seat.
The sound of the m
otor echoed through the treelined cove. Nick directed the skiff toward them and shore. The second he landed the boat on the small sandy beach, Nate jumped from it and splashed through the shallow water toward them.
“I’m sure glad Gramps didn’t see you standing up in the boat. Now you see why I have you wear a life jacket.”
“Don’t tell Gramps I forgot.”
“No more complaining about wearing a life jacket.”
“Promise.”
“Finished the doll already?” Nick asked Cindy, appearing at Nate’s side.
“Almost, Daddy. I’ve got all the parts done. We just have to put it together.”
“We thought we would take a break and bring you guys something to eat. Hungry?”
“Yep. What you got?” Nate peered into the sack that Jesse held.
She gave him the bag. “Sandwiches, sodas and cookies. Nothing fancy.”
“I’m starved. My kind of lunch—food.” Nick said, checking out the sack’s contents, too.
Jesse chuckled. “You wouldn’t be so hungry if you didn’t skip breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.”
“Have you been talking to Boswell? That’s what he says.”
“Nope. Know that fact all on my own.”
Nate took the sack to an outcrop of rocks and put it down on a flat one that resembled a stone table. Both her son and Nick delved inside and withdrew the contents, Nate licking his lips while Nick’s eyes gleamed in appreciation.
“Fishing is hard work. I could eat double this.” Nick unwrapped his sandwich and took a big bite.
“All you’ve done is sit around waiting for a fish to take the bait. That isn’t hard work in my book. By the way, do you have any?”
Nick shook his head while chewing his second bite. After washing his food down with a swallow of pop, he said, “Worrying is hard work.”
“What in the world are you worrying about?”
“When or even if I’m gonna catch a fish.”
Jesse stepped away from the children who sat on the rocks, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “You’re really getting into this fishing.”
“I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”
“What reputation?”
“Whatever I set my mind to, I do well.”
“Then I’ve got confidence you will conquer fishing…one day.”
“I hear doubt in your voice that it won’t be today.”
“There’s more to fishing than just putting your line in the water and getting a fish.”
“I know that.”
“You can’t conquer it in one day. Gramps has been doing it for years, and he’s still amazed at some of the things that have happened.”
“Like the old catfish that has evaded him?”
“I personally hope he never catches it. It gives him something to look forward to each time he goes out.”
“And we need something to look forward to when we wake up each morning.”
“Yes. I thank God every day I get out of bed.”
“Why? He took the one person you loved the most away from you.”
The harsh tone of Nick’s voice took her by surprise. His words snatched her breath. She couldn’t think of anything to say for a long moment. Then an answer came into her mind as though God spoke to her. “Mark is with the Lord now. One day I will join him so he’s not lost to me. My memories of my husband will sustain me until then.” She tilted her head. “Why are you angry with God?”
“If He loves us so much, why do we suffer?”
“He’s never denied us free will. We have choices. Sometimes they lead to heartache. As a parent, do you not find there are times you must discipline your child? That is the way children learn.”
“Gramps!”
Nate’s shout drew Jesse’s attention. Her grandfather strode across the beach toward them.
“I was nearby and thought I would see how you two were doing. Caught any fish yet?”
“No,” both Nick and Nate answered at the same time.
“Nick got a nibble and I think I lost the old catfish. He snapped my line. I had to show Nick how to fix it.”
“I half expected you to be here when I showed up. What took you so long, Gramps?” Jesse asked, seeing the intensity in Nick’s features smooth into a neutral expression.
“I made a little stop on the way.” Her grandfather stared at the ground, toeing the sand at his feet.
“Did Susan see you?”
His head shot up. “No. I know she was home. Her car was in the driveway, but she wouldn’t open the door to me.”
“Do you blame her after your antics last night?”
“That’s okay. I’ll catch her when we’re setting up for the Fourth of July celebration. She won’t miss that. She’ll have to talk to me then.”
“Daddy, can we help set up, too? Jesse told me they could always use extra people.” Cindy hopped down from her rock to come stand by her father. “They spend all day the day before getting everything ready.”
When Nick didn’t answer immediately, Jesse said, “If you have something to do, Cindy can go with us. Her doll will be on display on a table until the auction.”
“No, I’m pretty free until the end of July. What time?”
“We have breakfast together at seven, then there’s an early morning worship service for the helpers, then we start setting up. The service is at eight. We will probably be putting things out by nine. You can always meet us there at nine.”
“Daddy, Jesse needs me to help with breakfast. She’s in charge of it. Can we go at seven?”
CHAPTER NINE
Nick looked from his daughter to Jesse, feeling trapped. He couldn’t deny Cindy her request but that meant they would stay for the service at eight. Ever since the one he had attended with Jesse, he hadn’t been able to get the reverend’s words out of his mind. They haunted him with memories of his past, attending church with his mother every week until she was too ill to go. She died a broken woman, her hard life dragging her down until she couldn’t get up anymore.
“Daddy, can we?”
“Sure, sweetie. We can help.”
Cindy clapped and hurried back to Nate on the rocks. She grabbed a cookie and stuffed it into her mouth, then finished her soda. Gramps joined them, taking a cookie from the bag.
“Will you be all right with going at seven?”
“You mean can I deal with attending a church service? Yes. It’s important to Cindy.”
“You know Cindy is right. I could use a few extra pair of hands to help with breakfast.”
“What time do you need us there?”
“Six or six-thirty, whenever you can make it.”
“The day is getting longer and longer. When do you usually finish getting everything ready?”
“Oh, about five or so. It depends on how many times we stop to chat.”
“I’m thinking the setup is one big social event.”
“Almost more than the actual Fourth of July celebration.”
Nick turned to Nate. “Are you ready to fish some more?”
“Yep. Gramps is gonna ride back with us in the skiff.”
“We might be a while. I’m determined to catch a fish.” Nick began walking toward the boat, his leg aching.
Gramps put an arm about his shoulder. “Son, fishing happens in its own time frame. Just because you want it doesn’t mean it will happen today. But I can give you some pointers to help your cause.”
Nick pushed the skiff out into the water, took his seat and started the motor. He waved goodbye to Jesse and Cindy. He’d been pleased to see them earlier and hated seeing them leave. But he and Nate had some serious fishing to do. Despite what Gramps said, he intended to catch himself a fish today.
* * *
“You want me to be in charge of the bacon? Have you gone daft?” Nick asked standing in the middle of the church kitchen. “You remember what I nearly did to the fish at the fish fry the other night. Charred is not one of my favorite ways
to eat fish or bacon.”
With wooden spoon in hand, Jesse placed her fists on her waist. “Darcy called and told me she’s running late. She was supposed to help me cook.”
“How about one of the other ladies?”
“Beth’s taking care of the biscuits, Zoey the gravy and I’m doing the eggs. You can trade places with any of us.” When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “Here let me show you how, using the microwave. It’s about a minute for each piece of bacon.” Using a paper plate and paper towels, Jesse stacked six pieces, then punched in the time. “All you have to do is get it out, check to make sure they’re done enough, then repeat the process.”
“I can do that.” Relieved, Nick moved in front of the microwave, his gaze fixed upon the clock ticking down the seconds.
“Of course you can. Weren’t you the man who finally caught the old catfish at O’Reilly’s Cove?”
He tossed her a look with a smile deep in his eyes.
“The same man who threw the catfish back in the water?”
“He’d been around too long for me to be the one to end his life.”
“You’re a softie, Nick Blackburn. Gramps couldn’t believe after hours sitting in the skiff waiting for a fish to take your bait that you managed to bring in the catfish and then you decide to let him go.”
“I know. He lectured me the whole way back to the pier that if I’m going to go fishing I should eat what I catch.”
“Maybe fishing isn’t for you.”
“I enjoyed spending time with Nate.”
Jesse cracked several more eggs, added milk, salt and pepper, then whipped the contents of the bowl before pouring it into a skillet. “He had a good time. He’s never had a chance to show an adult how to do something. He felt very important, especially when his pupil outfished most people who have been trying for that catfish for years. He’s been telling everyone he taught you everything you know.”
“Is that why Sean wanted my autograph?”
“Yep, you’ve become a local hero. How did you manage to keep the fish on the line?”
Nick appeared sheepish. “Don’t tell anyone I don’t know. I guess you can chalk it up to beginner’s luck.”
A Mother for Cindy Page 12